ENCORE! Music from the 18th-Century Theatre

Music from the 18th-century Theatre is performed by Colonial Williamsburg singers
and by musicians on period instruments.

The music selected for this recording represents the style of music that could be
experienced in theatres throughout North America in colonial times. Music from English
plays was often sung and played in homes and taverns by amateurs as well.

4th of July Concert: The Fifes and Drums of Colonial Williamsburg

Lively dance tunes and spirited medleys are heard on the "The Fifes and Drums of Colonial
Williamsburg 4th of July Concert."

Performed and recorded live on July 4, 2005, to celebrate a nation of the people,
by the people, and for the people, the music also includes a salute to each of the
13 original colonies and concludes with "The Star Spangled Banner" and the sound of
fireworks.

From Ear to Ear: The Passage of African Music through American Slavery

In all things African, there is music. It is the essence of life from the secular
to the sacred.

The unique rhythm and joyful energy of the diverse musical traditions of the African
diaspora are presented by the early songs in West African languages, the folk songs
of the Caribbean and mainland North America. Work, children and spirit are celebrated.

The World Turned Upside Down

Inspiration for selections performed on this CD from Colonial Williamsburg came from
a collection of fife and drum music played at the Battle of Yorktown - the final battle
of the American Revolutionary War.

Today, the Fifes and Drums of Colonial Williamsburg carry forward the tradition of
military music heard on the battlefields of Yorktown. Legend has it that the British
played a tune called "The World Turned Upside Down" the day they surrendered. Although
historians find no record of the tune being played that day, they do know many pieces
that were, and the Fifes and Drums of Colonial Williamsburg perform selections from
the battlefield on this CD.

A Grand Entertainment

Since the first organized Christmas celebration drew visitors to Colonial Williamsburg
in 1936, nothing quite matches the beauty, imagination, excitement, pageantry, sights,
smells, sounds, and grandeur of the Christmas season in Colonial Williamsburg.

"A Grand Entertainment" brings the magic sounds of Christmas in Colonial Williamsburg
to life. From the refined notes of classic pieces played on period instruments to
the rich voices raised in songs remembered from Christmases long ago, and the frivolity
of a tavern balladeer, listeners are carried away to a season of Grand Entertainment
in Colonial Williamsburg.

Keys of the Palace

Colonial Williamsburg's Michael Monaco performs Peter Pelham's repertoire of 18th
century music on the period keyboard instruments of the Governor's Palace.

Williamsburg's chief musician for more than fifty years was Peter Pelham. He worked
in theaters, churches, concert halls and in the chambers of the Colonial gentry, and
he often performed for the Royal Governor's at the Governor's Palace. The music in
this CD reflects the selections that Monaco plays superbly throughout the year at
Colonial Williamsburg's live music venues.

A Numerous and Brilliant Assembly: A Colonial Williamsburg Musical Sampler

Colonial Williamsburg has produced a number of recordings that feature the authentic
instruments and music of eighteenth-century Virginia. From classical to slave songs,
this is a sampler of the music performed in the various music venues.

Selected performances from nine of Colonial Williamsburg's recordings provide the
listener with a sampler of eighteenth-century music ranging from thrilling fife and
drum marches, to the chamber music enjoyed by Thomas Jefferson, from chants used by
slaves working in the field, to the music enjoyed by common folks in Williamsburg's
taverns.

In Freedom We're Born: Songs from the American Revolution

New lyrics set to familiar (or some not so familiar) English melodies, recorded using
eighteenth-century instrumentation to recreate the ambience of a small tavern or public
meeting place.

These are popular liberty songs of the American Revolution sung in taverns, in homes,
and on the street. We hope to inspire a greater appreciation of the people caught
up in the struggle for independence.

A Delightful Recreation: The Music of Thomas Jefferson

The selection of music presented here re-creates Jefferson's Williamsburg entertainments
and gives the listener a sample of his musical experience. Recorded in the Governor's
Palace ballroom, this recording captures the spirit of the times of Jefferson.

As a frequent visitor to the Raleigh Tavern and the Capitol, Jefferson heard subscription
concerts and danced at the balls and assemblies. For Jefferson, music was a "delightful
recreation" and a "companion which [could] sweeten many hours." While his personal
involvement with musical performance declined sharply after 1780, his interest in
this particular fine art persisted in his activities as an enthusiastic parent, grandfather,
and president.

Echoes of Revolution

Another fine collection of military and marching music performed by The Colonial Williamsburg
Fifes and Drums.

Hear tunes that inspired the courage of our patriots or comforted them around their
fires at night. When the eighteenth-century fifers and drummers found music they especially
liked, they wrote the tunes down in manuscripts. Some have become favorites of our
visitors. We hope you will find some familiar tunes - some of your favorites - in
this collection.

Marching Out of Time

Exhilarating fife and drum music that marked the routine of military troops during
the 18th century and sent the patriots marching into battle.

The Colonial Williamsburg Fifes and Drums are world-renowned military and field music
performers. This collection of compound and common time signatures researched from
early manuscripts proves that colonial military units performed complex music.

Instrumental Music from the Colonial Williamsburg Collection

On this recording of period music, the Cross Violin, Kirckman Harpsichord, Keene Spinet,
Broadwood Pianoforte and three flutes are played just as they were 200 years ago.

A broad range of program selections has been chosen for this early music recording
to highlight the extraordinary musicianship of Darling, Marshall, Bushee and Watson.
They convey, for new listeners and old, the delightful music of colonial Virginia.

Christmas Music from Williamsburg

The recording was made in Bruton Parish Church, Williamsburg, Virginia. The music
has been gathered from a wide variety of sources. Its relatively simple character
makes it suitable for performing by amateurs at home during the Christmas season.

Few descriptions of Christmas activities in colonial Virginia survive. Statements
such as these indicate a joyful state of mind and are valuable testimony of celebration,
at least among the well-to-do citizens. Christmas was generally celebrated at home
with family and the seasonal excitement was centered there.

Songs for a Williamsburg Christmas

Carols, motets, hymns, songs, and madrigals reflect the enthusiastic joy and high
spirits of Yuletide celebrations in Williamsburg.

The Williamsburg Madrigal Singers have spread the music of Christmas from Bruton Parish
Church to Kingâs Arms Tavern, from "groaning board" feasts to outdoor bonfires.
Christmas songs from a variety of sources are joined together in the spirit of peace.

A Half Century of Quarter Notes

In 2008, we celebrated the 50th Anniversary of The Colonial Williamsburg Fifes and
Drums. This CD highlights the recorded musical history of the Corps from 1961 to
2008.

The fifers and drummers, or field musicians, of the regiment were typically boys too
young to bear arms, whose primary purpose was to relay commands to soldiers in the
field. This rich historical context led to the establishment of a fife and drum corps
for Colonial Williamsburg in 1958. It has continued, uninterrupted, to the present
day. Millions of visitors to the Historic Area have experienced the history of the
American Revolution through the stirring musical performances of The Fifes and Drums.